HUNGARY AND KEPIRO's CASE

The situation in Hungary

and Sandor Kepiro's Case

By Didier Bertin - April 4, 2011

Society for the Promotion of the European Human Rights Model

A Rightist Government was elected in April 2010 which immediately changed the wording of the recent law banning denial of the Holocaust; the word Holocaust was deleted and replace by the world Genocide to including on the same footing of the Holocaust , the suffering incurred under the communist regime.

This new Government took control of key institutions of the country establishes censorship in a totalitarian way recalling the communist regime and without protest of the European Commission.

A legal case against a war criminal turned in a surprising and meaningful evolution.

Sandor Kepiro's case

At the end of World War I the German and Austro-Hungarian territories were redesigned and Hungarian territory was reduced after its separation from Austria.

In 1940 Hungary became as in 1914 an ally of Germany and took the opportunity offered by the German invasion of Yugoslavia to take back the Serbian territory named Vojvodina they had lost in 1918.

It should also be noted that since 1935 Hungary had enacted its own anti-Jewish laws first under the influence of the fascist group named the Arrowed Crosses, which were maintained 1941.

Hungary had created a Gendarmerie Force inspired of the French Model and 15 officers of the Gendarmerie and regular Army had decided from January 21, 1942 to purify the Vojvodina from the Serbs, Gypsies and Jews starting with the population of the Capital Novi Sad by way of extermination.

They called the operation Racija, from the word Razzia i.e. Raid in Arabic, was apparently stopped by the military hierarchy but 3309 people including 141 children were already killed.

One of the main executioners was Lieutenant Sandor Kepiro.

The 15 officers were sentenced to prison in Budapest on January 23, 1944.

On March 19, 1944, the Germans who feared that Hungary might try to negotiate a separated peace, invaded the country , cancelled the condemnation of the officers and requested a promotion of Lieutenant Sandor Kepiro to the rank of Captain.

On 4 avril1945, the last German troops defeated by the Red Army left Hungary and Captain Kepiro who was wanted by the Russian authorities fled to Argentina through Austria. Captain Kepiro was convicted twice in absentia for the massacre of Novi Sad.

The fall of the communist regime allowed Captain Kepiro to return openly in Hungary since 1996 where he was thereafter located by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

The first trial which was effectively held on October 8, 2010 was against Sandor Kepiro but against Dr. Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for libel following a complaint of Sandor Kepiro. Sandor Kepiro made an appeal against a release and the second trial against Dr. Zuroff will take place on April 6, whereas the trial against Sandor Kepiro is scheduled for 5 May 2011.

CONCLUSION

The European Commission should have intervened to impose in Hungary the respect of the European rules but did not do until now to our knowledge.

At the main State members as France could have intervened but did not do it.

Hungary took even Presidency of the European Union from January to June 2011.